Channel bonding is a technique used to combine the available bandwidth of several Data Over Cable Interface Specification (“DOCSIS”) channels into a single larger logical pipe. This development began as the multiple systems operators (“MSOs”), (i.e., cable television companies) saw advantages for their networks in deploying this technology which allows better theoretical bandwidth usage and allows higher net throughput to their subscribers. DOCSIS version 3.0 specifies channel bonding methodologies for upstream and downstream links over the hybrid fiber coaxial network (“HFC”). These new features allow individual subscribers to get higher data throughput and provides an improvement for bandwidth efficiency through the effective aggregation of multiple upstream and downstream channels into a single logical flow.
DOCSIS 3.0 specifies many changes to cable modem termination system (“CMTS”) and cable modem (“CM”) provisioning, particularly with respect to network configuration. MSO personnel assign bonding groups of channels manually or automatically within the CMTS, with individual service flows automatically assigned within the available bonding groups. A cable modem has been provisioned with multiple configuration profile records, wherein a record indicates a CM's physical capabilities, (e.g., number of channels it can support, and the spacing between channels) such as management information base (“MIB”) records. But, a CMTS may not be able to intelligently determine from among the plurality of records it receives when a CM boots up which profile record to select. Furthermore, a CMTS cannot determine automatically how to configure, or allocate, the channels available to support the CM booting up. Thus, there is a need in the art for a method and system for selecting from among a plurality of CM profile records a profile a CMTS should use. The art also needs a method for automatically determining which configuration of channels to use in communicating with the CM.